# SIDEROPHORES AND VIRULENCE OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 1987 · $130,959

## Abstract

The goal is this research is to understand how Pseudomonas
aeruginosa obtains extracellular iron to support growth during
human infections.  Our long-term goal is to use this understanding
toward the construction of growth-inhibiting or bactericidal
compounds.  To be a successful pathogen, P. aeruginosa must
mobilize iron from unavailable mammalian iron reserves, serum
transferrin and secretory lactoferrin into forms which are
available to bacterial metabolism.  This bacterium depends upon
three extracellular products to mobilize unavailable iron.
Pyocyanin is a reducing agent which can catalyze the removal of
Fe(II) from transferrin.  Pyochelin and pyoverdin (siderophores)
are iron binding compounds which supply iron in utilizable forms
to high affinity transport systems.  Pyoverdin appears to be the
most effective siderophore.  The first specific aim of this
proposal will be to follow the fates of both iron and pyoverdin
during transport using radiolabelling studies and to compare these
transport mechanisms with those used for ferripyochelin.  The
concerted activities of all three extracellular products will be
investigated during transport assays.  High pressure liquid
chromatography (HPLC) and electrophoresis will be used in
conjunction with transport assays to determine the participation
of the bacterial surface and of proteolytic enzymes in iron
mobilization from transferrin.  The biosynthesis of pyoverdin will
be investigated by both amino acid analysis of pigments isolated
by isoelectric focusing and HPLC, and by labelling the forms of
pyoverdin with radioactive amino acids.  Mutants which produce
abbreviated segments of the peptide portion of the siderophore
will be fed radiolabelled amino acids and their products will be
analyzed to yield a sequential perspective of peptide formation.
Completion of pigment synthesis will be studied by following the
incorporation of (14C)shikimate into the quinoline derivatives and
finally into the dihydroxyquinoline of pyoverdin.  NMR and mass
spectroscopy will be employed to analyze possible alteration in
the dihydroxyquinoline moiety of pyoverdin.  This information and
these compounds will be used in our research for analogues of
siderophores and precursors which inhibit bacterial iron
acquisition.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3125380
- **Project number:** 2R01AI013120-10A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** Z1H9VJS8NG16
- **Principal Investigator:** CHARLES D COX
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $130,959
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1977-01-01 → 1990-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3125380

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3125380, SIDEROPHORES AND VIRULENCE OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA (2R01AI013120-10A1). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3125380. Licensed CC0.

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